Study Buddies
by shelzykid
Summary: Zuko is in danger of not graduating and is forced to find a tutor. !Zutara! AU
1. Chapter 1

_**Study Buddies**_

**Summary: **Zuko is in danger of not graduating and is forced to find a tutor.

**Pairing: **Zuko/Katara (Zutara)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or am affiliated with Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Characters: **Zuko, Katara, Hakoda, Sokka, Iroh, Aang, Toph

* * *

_**Failing**_

Zuko rubbed his weary eyes, being careful of the marred skin around his left eye. He threw off the covers and dragged himself into the bathroom, where he got ready for the day. He slipped on a black T-shirt and grey pants and brushed his shaggy hair.

"Good morning, nephew," Iroh said, hearing Zuko jog downstairs. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Sorry, Uncle, not today," Zuko answered, biting into an apple and heading to school.

Iroh shook his head. Zuko never ate a real breakfast, he just grabbed anything in the kitchen and left.

Zuko had to walk five miles to school, and was late everyday. When he _did _arrive to school, his teacher, Ms Tsukino, greeted him with "Nice of you to join us, Zuko. Take a seat."

Zuko always ended up sitting behind Katara, the principal's daughter. He hated Katara. She didn't do anything wrong, he just hated her. Katara was an advanced sophomore, and Zuko was a failing senior, which explains why they were in the same chemistry class.

"Zuko, I assume that you were late because you were up all night studying?" Ms Tsukino asked.

"Sure," Zuko said sarcastically.

"Then, I suppose you can answer the question on the board?" the woman asked, gesturing toward the whiteboard.

"Uh-"

"I didn't think so. Why don't you come up here and pass out the tests?" she asked.

"Nah,"

"It wasn't a question, Zuko," she said, shoving the tests in his direction.

Zuko groaned and grabbed the tests. He passed them out, and noticed that Katara was smiling at him. He ignored it and started his test. Only, he didn't actually try - he just bubbled in every answer and turned it in. He noticed that Katara was also turning in her test. She winked at Zuko and sat back down before pulling out her notebook.

When the bell rang, Ms Tsukino asked Zuko to stay, while everyone else left.

"Zuko, it appears that you are failing Algebra 2," she told him.

"Okay," he shrugged.

"No, not okay. If you continue to fail, you will be taken out of chemistry," Ms Tsukino asserted.

"Doesn't sound like a big deal," Zuko muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, it is," she said. "If you're taken out of chemistry, you won't be able to graduate because you won't have the required science education."

"So," he looked around the room. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"I suggest a tutor, but I'm going to be honest with you, Zuko, I expected more from the governor's son."

Zuko grimaced at the comment and left.

When he walked out of the classroom, he was met by Katara.

"Hi," she said.

Zuko ignored her and made his way to his locker.

Katara frowned, then chased after him.

"So, I hear you need a tutor," she stated.

Zuko opened his locker and moved the door so it was covering Katara's face.

Katara was getting impatient. She moved around Zuko and looked into his eyes. "I happen to be a great student. I can tutor you."

_Seriously? Katara wants to tutor me? Ha. _"No thanks," Zuko said bluntly.

"But, if you don't find a tutor, then you won't be able to pass your classes, and if you don't pass your classes, you won't be able to graduate, and if you don't graduate-" Katara rambled, but was cut off by Zuko's hand covering her mouth. She blushed.

Zuko sighed. "Fine."

Katara cheered. "Great! Come by my house tonight at 4," she said before handing him a piece of paper with her address on it and running away.

* * *

**So, here's my new story. Hope you like it! Reviews are always nice and they keep me motivated. Thanks for reading!**

**-shelzykid**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Study Buddies**_

**Summary: **Zuko is in danger of not graduating and is forced to find a tutor.

**Pairing: **Zuko/Katara (Zutara)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or am affiliated with Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Characters: **Zuko, Katara, Hakoda, Sokka, Iroh, Aang, Toph

* * *

_**Blue**_

After school, Zuko and Aang were hanging out in the courtyard before they were soon accompanied by Toph Beifong.

"Hey, Sparky. Hey, Twinkle Toes," Toph laughed.

Both boys sighed. Toph had a nickname for everyone she knew. Zuko got his nickname after starting a fire in class using just two pencils, and Aang got his after joining ballet.

"How was your day, Toph?" Zuko asked the young girl.

"My day was great! We dissected frogs!" Toph yelled excitedly.

"Wait, how did you dissect a frog? You're blind," Zuko wonderded.

"Gee, Zuko, I didn't notice that I was blind. Thanks for pointing that out," Toph rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," Zuko mumbled.

"Anyway, I had Twinkle Toes dissect it for me," Toph gestured in the direction she guessed Aang was in.

"So, how was it fun if you didn't even touch it?" Zuko looked at Toph, then at Aang.

"Because I fainted," Aang grunted, causing Toph to burst into laughter.

As Toph settled down, Aang turned to Zuko and said, "We're going to the arcade later, wanna come?"

"I can't," Zuko grumbled. "I have to be at Katara's house in an hour."

"Ooh, Zuko's got a date," Aang teased.

Zuko's face turned a light red. "I-it's just a s-study date," Zuko said, too embarrassed to admit that he needed a tutor.

"More like a s-s-stutter date," Aang giggled. (A/N: Ha. Haha. Ha. Ha. Heh. No? Okay…)

* * *

Zuko took a deep breath and knocked on the door hesitantly. He heard muffled voices before someone finally opened the door.

"Oh, you're not the pizza guy," the young man said, disappointed.

"Uh, no, I'm not. I'm here to see Katara," Zuko began to think he was at the wrong house.

The teenager examined Zuko, checking for anything that would make Zuko a bad influence.

"Sokka, who's at the door?" Katara asked, yelping at the sight of Zuko.

Zuko looked at Katara who was at the top of the staircase. She was wearing a light blue robe and her hair was in a towel.

"I-I didn't think y-you'd be here so early!" Katara said nervously.

"It's 4:10, I'm late," Zuko raised his one eyebrow.

"Oh! Then, come in and make yourself at home! I'll be down in a sec!" she said before running back in the direction she came from.

Zuko stepped into the house and noticed that Sokka was still staring at him.

"State your name and business!" Sokka demanded.

"Erm, my name is Zuko… Katara offered to tutor me."

Sokka repeated the name in his head. _Zuko… Zuko… Zuko… Where have I heard that name? _he thought, then it clicked. "You're that kid that's in my dad's office almost everyday!"

Soon, Katara was a t the top of the staircase again. She was wearing a blue hoodies and jeans, and her hair was flowing down her back.

Zuko made her arrival into an excuse to get away from the questioning teen. When he met Katara at the top, she led him to her room.

"Sorry about Sokka," she apologized.

"Is he always like that?" Zuko asked when they stopped at a blue door with ocean waves on the borders.

"Only around boys," she replied, opening the door. The inside of her room was also blue with ocean waves.

"Wow, you must really like blue," Zuko commented.

"Yeah, it's my favourite colour. Everything I own is either blue or white," Katara replied.

"Why?" Zuko wondered.

"Blue represents the ocean, and white represents the waves. My grandmother used to tell me stories about a different world where people could bend the four elements: Air, water, earth, and fire. She said that the world was split into four nations: Air Nomads, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation," Katara explained, pulling out a small book. "She also said that this book can tell what element you'd bend based on your eye colour. Wanna try it?"

"Sure,"

"Okay," Katara looked into his eyes - they were golden. "Golden," she said, flipping through the pages. "Aha! It says here that golden eyes means a firebender."

"Wow," Zuko whispered, fascinated.

"Well, let's get to studying!" Katara said, tossing the book aside and grabbing an Algebra 2 textbook.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long. I was trying to write as much as I could whenever I had the chance. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing a sequel to this story later on. For now, I'm going to work on my other story. Also, if any of you are in Algebra 2, could you give me a few of the math problems? I don't know any and I need them to write the study scene. Thanks!**

**-shelzykid**


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